many different brands.

So my first try at cloning was a failure. I used a rooting powder from home depot. Seems pretty generic. I've looked around and I've seen rooting gels powders rooting plugs. Different methods and styles of how to clone. But my question is to find out what everyone else is using? . Not what should I use. Also to see how everyone does the process.

I clip the clone from the lowest branch possible. I slice the end off diagonally right below a node of some sort. Cut this bottom node off close enough as to slightly skin the side of the bottom of your stem. If they aren't already wet, put root cubes in a bowl of mild temperature tap water, take one and squeeze it out so that it is still quite moist but not soaking. Dip end of clone into rooting product and stick it into the premade hole of the root cube. Put into tray with humidity dome and seedling heating pad. Pour a little bit of water into the bottom of the tray and spray the inside of the dome with a little. Try not to directly water the cubes or spray directly onto the plants if you can avoid it. I like about 80 degrees inside the dome with high humidity, for me this requires the seedling heat mat. Do this properly and expect roots in 4 days or so. If you keep them too wet they wont ever feel encouraged to grow roots to seek more and they will likely dampen off. This is just what works for me.

I agree with Southerner in regards to taking your clones from the bottom of the plant is possible. Call me old fashioned, but I simply root my clones in jiffy peat pellets in a humidity dome at least 2 ft from 200W MH. As for rooting powders and gels, I dip the stems of clones inside the open leaf of an aloe vera plant. get a gooey gob of aloe on your clones stem and place it directly in the jiffy pellet. Make sure jiffy pellet is moist but not soaking wet. Place inside a humidity dome and keep light on at least 18 hrs a day with temps above 70* F. Mist inside of your dome and leaves of your clones at least 2-3 times a day for 3-5 days. From day 5-8, allow your dome to receive some air circulation that will help your starter pellets to dry out. When the pellets start to dry out, your root bits that have formed will rapidly stretch looking for a water source. You should see roots exiting your starter pellets on most of your clones by Day 8-10 although some may take up to 14-16 days. Once you see roots starting to grow out your pellets, fill the bottom grooves of the tray of your dome with a very light nutrient solution and allow the pellets to soad the nute solution up. Once you see a multiple array of roots exiting you pellet, you can transplant to your first container. As long as you don't disturb your root mass, they will be just fine left sitting in the nutrient solution for a few days until you get ready to transplant. Just remember, never let your pellets get COMPLETELY dry of your clone will die. I have a 90% success rate with my clones using this method. Hope this helps!

Also, a trick that I use that seems to work pretty well. Once my clone is cut at a solid 45* angle to my liking, I carefully use the razorblade to gently scrape and rough up the outer skin of my clones stem. I do this about halfway up the stem. This seems to help the root bits get started a lil easier and whatever cloning "solution" you are using will stick to your stem better. Works well for me just be very careful not to accidently cut your stem again.

Take the cut ninety degree angle and dip it in clonex or dont, clonex isnt a must you'll have a better success rate with it though. Stick it in the moist cube place it in a tray and mist the cuts then mist the inside of the dome. Cover it and dont open it for 5 days.. make sure the qubes dont dry out but dont keep them too wet either.. , after the 5th day open the vents , on the seventh or eight day take the dome off and wait till they root..

Solo cup full of tap water with a piece of tinfoil on top with a hole poked in the middle. No gels or powders. No dome. Only mist once at cut. Keep the light high.

the rooting power works well for me to.. these were cut 5 days ago.. im expecting the majority those to be rooted by day 12. Some of those should start rooting in as little as 8 days... im sure one or two might take as long as 15 days.

oteymut said:

Solo cup full of tap water with a piece of tinfoil on top with a hole poked in the middle. No gels or powders. No dome. Only mist once at cut. Keep the light high.

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I'm interested in this, do you put the cutting through the tin foil

Yep, and I write the cut # on the tinfoil in sharpie so I can just lift it off one cup and set it on another if I need to. I like to get a cut with a good long stem, about 3 trimmed nodes underwater because I think the water pressure of being deeper in the cup helps the cutting, but not so long that it touches bottom.

oteymut said:

Solo cup full of tap water with a piece of tinfoil on top with a hole poked in the middle. No gels or powders. No dome. Only mist once at cut. Keep the light high.

Click to expand...

That's even simpler than what I do.

I have seen several tutorials when I started saying to cut the leaves. This is counterproductive. The clones need those leaves to gather light, and for energy stores to power the root growing.

Here's a rooted clone with no gels, or powders needed. Just keep the slice sites damp, temps around 70°, and good 6500K light.